Incased adjustable weight-loaded valve



Dec. 3, 1929. F. H. HOPKINS ET Al. 1,737,588

I'NCSED ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT LOADED VALVE Filed Dec. 10, 1925 y Zwan/fam" etente'd 39 'l d seosi SSEGNQRS, BY RESINE .ASSGNEENTS, 'T0 CNSLIDATED ASHCRUFT HANQCK @@EE'EJNY, ENQ, @E YQRK, N. ilk-.ll CRPOMTEN 0F DELAW i DJTELE WEGlElT-LMED VALVE Application filed heeeiuter w, )19%. Serial No. 74,5%0

The present invention relates to valves and to equipment 'including valves. More particularly, it is concerned vvith a valve adapted to prevent siphonic action in a pipe volume end protected by its casing trom being accidentally shitted out oit adjustment., The invention comprises such a valve, and the combination thereof with a ,liquid-con ducting pipe systeni? .as more particularly set Aforth in the following speciticai'ion, and es embodied in other structures substantially equivalent to that described said specitlm llithout intending thereby to indicate any limitation in the nature of the invention7 or ot the protection which vve claim tor it? vve may say that one conspicuous iield ot use tor which it is adapted is that ot an antieiphon valve in oil burning equipment in order to prevent continued 'liovv et oil by i siphonic action, when the normal oil` feeding nieans ceases to function7 Whether accidentally or by design. Such continued ovv is liable to 'Flood the turnuce base or furnace room with oil, with consequent danger ol a disastrous tire9 particularly in connection vvith oil burning equipment used for domestic purposes, which is designed to run With a minimum ot per= sonal attention. |'lhis liability arises in situations Where the burner is ted by a pump and is at a lower level than. the supply tank, when the action ot the pump is interrupted1 unless automatic means are provided tor then closing the siphonic supply line., lleretoi'lorea in such situations, there have been used tor this purpose anti-Siphon valves ot two types, one type being 'wei lit-loaded., and the other being spring-loade so as to be closed when the suction of the burner feed .pump ceases and when the only suction applied is that due to the head ot oil in the descending leg et the siphonic pipe leading from the supplytank`l to the burner.

The ditiiculty vvith spring-loaded antisiphon valves 1s' that the springs used are liable to brealr or become weakened or distorted vvith extended service so much as to be incapable of closing the valve against the siphonic suction head. The-Weight-loaded valves heretotore used, While not subject to this defect, are nevertheless liable to be accidentally disarranged and put out of adjustment, and they occupy Aso much space that treoguently they cannot be installed Vin positions Where they 'would be sate from liability oit being disarranged and put out, ot adjustment.

The nevv step which vve have made with the present invention is to provide, lor the coinbination and use ahove referred to, and other cornbniations and uses9 nevv construction oil valve which is Weightloaded with closing 'ten'dei'icy7 and is also equipped vvith a spring and with adjusting ineens tor varying the effective closing edort exerted by the Weight, and the Whole structure is compact and small in bulk, and the movable and adjustable parte5 including the vveight, are all encased in such fashion as to he immune trom accidental. disarrangeinent l/"v'e will novv describel the invention in detail, in relation to the particular use ot an anti-Siphon valve in oil burning apparatus and vvith reference to the drawings provided vvith this speciiication ln the dravvingsf liigure l is a diagrammatic vievv illustrating a domestic oil burner installation having our invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional vievv showing the preterred torni ot valve in detail.,

Referring to the diagram, a represents a casing in vvhich is an oil-burnera Such casing may lbe a yturnace or heater of any sort, designed to heat Water or generate steam tor house heating or other purposes9 and located in the common location 'tor domestic oil burners; that is, in the cellar or basement ot a building and below the ground level which is represented at I). c represents a supply tank for oil buried in the ground outside ot the basement Wall, and Wholly or partially above the level ol the oil burner. 'llhe usual tank filling tube is shown at d and vent tube at e.

The pipe line for conducting oil from the.`

tank to the burner consists of a section f rising from the bottom ot the tank to a level 5. above its top, a section g leading from the section f through the basement'wall into the furnace room, and a descending section or leg it within the cellar,'eXtending in any convenient course to the feed pump, by which'oil is drawn from the tank and delivered under the desired pressure to the burner: i represents an anti-Siphon valve between the pipe sections g and L, adapted to be opened so as to permit flow of oil when the feed pump is in operation and to be closed and prevent oil flow under the siphonic action of the column of oil in the pipe or leg 7L, when the pump is stopped. It will be appreciated that the pipe sections f, g and l1, form a Siphon, of which the' longer leg L isinside the building and is liable to deliver a flood of oil unless siphonic action be checked.

Referring now to Figure 2 for a detailed illustration' of the novel and improved valve which embodies .this invention, said valve comprises a body 1 having an upright lower branch 2 and a lateral branch 3, in each ot which are passages for tlow of liquid. Surrounding the upper end of the passage in the upright branch 2 is a seat a, on which is seated the valve proper 5, said valve proper having a guiding stem 6 formed with wings, entering the upright passage in a manner common in this art. The pipe line g is conn nccted by an upwardly turned litting or connection with the branch 2, and the descending leg z is connected by a suitable itting or coupling with the lateral branch 3. Hence the oil pressure induced by the feed pump or by siphonic action tends to unseat the valve proper.

For loading the valve, we provide a wei ht -7 which rests on the valve proper, prefera ly having a stem 8 entering a recess in the valve i proper and having a bearing area of limited extent at the bottom of such recess, as shown in the drawing. This'weight is enclosed partly by the valve body 1 and partly by a cover casin 9, which is detachably screwed into the valve ody, these two members together forming a casing which completely encloses the weight without limiting its freedom of movement or that of the valve proper.

A stem 10 passes through the upper wall of the cover 9, with which it has a screw threaded engagement. Its lower end, prol vided with an enlarged head 11, is contained in a deep pocket or chamber 12 in the weight. A spring 13 surrounds the stem 10 and is con'- lined between the head 11 and a plug 14, screwed into the threaded upper end of the chamber 12 and having a central guideway through which the stem 10 passes freely. Said head and plug provide abutments for the spring, the former of which abutments is connected with the casing and the other with the weight. A lock nut 15 is screwed on the protruding end of the stem 10 outside of the cover 9; and a protecting cap 16 is screwed on to the extremity of the stem and encloses .m the loch nut..

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing description that the spring 13 exerts a lifting effect on the weight and that this eifect may be either increased or diminished by appropriately shifting the head 11 by screwing the stem 10 in or out. Any adjustment so made is made permanent by setting up the lock nut 15, and turning back of 'the Stem is then made impossible by applying the cap 16. Such cap, as it bears against the end wall oi" the coverv 9, acts also as a second lock nut.

The mass of the weight and the strength of the spring are appropriately designed with reference to the siphonic head which the weight has to overcome, the area of the passage covered by the valve preper, and the suction capable of being developed by the feed pump. ln any case, the weight is made 9o amply heavy to close the valve when the only tendency to open it is that caused by the siphonic effect of the pipe line; while the spring is made stiff enough so that, by adjustment, it may diminish Athe e'ective torce of' 95 the Weight in the measure needed to cause opening of the valve by the suction of the pump and closing by the superior torce of the weight when the pump 1s stopped. ln such circumstances of use as that herein de- 10o scribed, the 'unbalanced oil column in the descending pipe leg h is at any time relatively short in comparison with the oil head equivalent to the atmospheric pressure; wherefore it is a simple matter to apply the principles of this invention in designing a valve having a weight of suitable mass and a spring of suitable strength ane stiffness for the pur pose in view, and a single design of valve may be made which is capable of use in diler-y ent situations wherein there are considerable variations in the differences of level between the burner and the oil in the supply tank. Considering other possible uses of this invention, it will be evident that the saine v principles mav beV applied to any situation Where the unbalanced liquid head tending to cause siphonic action is enough less than the suction head obtainable by a pump to permit of the weight being lifted when the pump acts, and being closed by gravity when the unbalanced head of liquid in the siphon pipe alone acts. Preferably, the spring used is one which may be contained, without being compressed, between the head 11 and the abut- 125 ment 14 when these parts are 'most widely separated, and will be strong enough to support the weight without being compressed so far as to bring the coils together; that is, the spring should be capable of resiliently supporting Ithe wei ht. However, this statement is one of pre erence merely and is not a limiting factor. Again, the spring is preferably one of helical formation properly proportioned to surround the stem 10 and to occupy the cavity in the weight, without making contact with either except on the abutments at the opposite ends of thel helix; although other forms of spring may be used.

Ample space is left within the casing and around the weight to permit free rise .and descent of the liquid in the casing Without disturbance of the Weight; and there is a drain passage 17 from the bottom of the chamber 12 to permit free flow of the liquid into and out of the chamber.

By virtue of the` characteristics embodied in this valve as herein described, gravity tends constantly to close the valve by means of the Weight, with a force superior to that of the spring. Hence in case of distortion, Weakening or breakage of the spring, the closing tendency is increased rather than diminished or destroyed, (as is the case with springloaded valves) Wherefore there is no danger of the valve failing to close the ipe line when necessary. On the other bandi the application of the spring in'the manner herein disclosed enables the effective force of the weight to be adjusted as readily as in the case of any other weight-loaded valve, but the weight is protected from being accidentally displaced and put out of adjustment, and is arranged and combined with the casingA in a most compact way.

The valve proper used in the construction here shown has an annular chamber 18 on its under side, outside of the seating` surface, and a lip 19 surrounding said chamber, thus comprising means for causing the valve to open and close completel. and quickly, after the manner of a pop sa ety valve.

As the principles of the invention may be embodied in other forms and applied in other situations than as here shown, we do not limit our protectionv to the specific form of valve and combination here shown, or otherwise than according to the meaning of the appended claims as construed with reference to the prior art.

What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valve proper arranged to seat over the communication between said passages, a weight contained within said casing and arranged to exert pressure on said valve, a spring arranged to exert force on said weight in opposition to the force of gravity, and means for so adjusting said spring as to alter the force exerted by thei weight on the valve.

2. A valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valve roper arranged to seat over the commumcation between said passages, a weight contained within said casing and arranged to exert pressure on said valve, a spring arranged to exert force on said weight in opposition to the force of gravity, and an abutment on which said spring reacts, said abut-ment being adjustable so as to alter the force exerted by the spring.

3. A valve comprising a casing having a rising inlet passage in its bottom and having also an outlet passage, a valve proper arranged to seat across said inlet passage, a weigxht contained within said casing resting on t e valve proper and having a chamber extending downward rom its upper end, a stem extending from the top of the casing downward into said chamber and having a head on its lower end, an abutment plug set into the upper part of said chamber, and a spring confined between said head and the plug, Said stem-being adjustable up and down to vary the force exerted by said spring.

4. A valve comprising a casing, a valve proper within said casing, a weight also within said casing resting on said valve proper and in substantially vertical co-axial alinement therewith, an adjustable spring abutment supported from the casing, and a spring supported by said abutment and acting upwardly on said weight.

5. A valve comprising a casing, a valve proper within said casing, a weight also with- 1n said casing resting on said valve proper and in substantially vertical co-axial alinement therewith, a spring abutment adjustably supported from the casing with provision for vertical displacement, and a spring reacting on said abutment and acting upwardly on the weight, the abutment and spring being also in substantially co-axial vertical alinement with the valve proper and the Weight.

6. The combination with a siphonic pipe line of an anti-Siphon valve in sald pipe line, said valve including a weight under gravity impulsion tending to close the valve, a spring exerting a counterforce on said weight, means for adj usting the counterforce exerted by said spring, and a casin enclosing the weight, spring and spring a justing means.

In test1mony whereof we have allixed our signatures.

FRANK H. HOPKINS. FRANK B. WOODMAN. 

